THE EFFECT OF ETHIDIUM BROMIDE ON MITOCHONDRIAL DNA SYNTHESIS AND MITOCHONDRIAL DNA STRUCTURE IN HELA CELLS

The synthesis of mitochondrial DNA (mDNA) in HeLa cells is selectively inhibited by relatively low concentrations of ethidium bromide. After exposure of cells to strongly inhibitory concentrations of the drug, the apparent superhelix density of mDNA is rapidly increased, as judged by its buoyant density in CsCl in the presence of ethidium bromide. Mitochondrial DNA synthesized in the presence of partially inhibitory concentrations of ethidium bromide is also altered in its buoyant density in the presence of the dye, but is more heterogeneous in this respect. However, the change in buoyant density of newly synthesized mDNA may be explained by changes in structure other than a change in superhelix density, as indicated by its increased resistance to digestion by pancreatic DNase.     

肺机械扩张增进表面活性物质分泌机制的研究

采用大鼠离体肺灌流模型,观察肺泡灌洗液中肺表面活性物质(PS)含量的变化。结果表明:在增大潮气量机械扩张肺时PS分泌显著增加(p<0.05),该分泌增加现象能被细胞松弛素B及硝苯吡啶所抑制(p<0.05),但不为细胞外缺钙所抑制(p>0.05)。从而提示扩张所引起的PS分泌增加可能与细胞内的收缩结构有关,而与细胞外钙离子无关。     

鸮形目8种鸟类线粒体DNA多态性研究

采用14种限制性内切酶,对鸮形目8种鸟类(Tyto alba、T.capensis、Otus bakkamoena、O.scops、Asio otus、A.flammeus、Strix aluco、Glaucidium cuculoides)线粒体DNA进行限制性片段长度多态分析, 结果表明:不同种间存在基因组长度多态性,短耳鸮为23.35 kb,长耳鸮为19.78 kb,斑头鸺鹠为18.62 kb,红角鸮为17.65 kb.鸮形目种间具有较高的遗传变异,其中仓鸮和草鸮的平均遗传距离为1.0%,长耳鸮和短耳鸮平均为10.8%,红角鸮和领角鸮平均为13.1%,灰林鸮和斑头鸺鹠为12.3%,其中红角鸮与斑头鸺鹠的平均遗传距离最大为17.5%.鸮形目鸟类线粒体DNA的进化速率为每百万年变化2.0%～2.2%,提示鸮形目两个科间在距今2 800～3 000万年前分歧开来,同时,鸱鸮科各种间的分歧时间在距今2 000～2 500万年前,即处于中新世中期.     

ROLE OF EDTA AND METALS IN MITOCHONDRIAL CONTRACTION

Studies comparing the state of hydration and dehydration of rat liver mitochondria to their content of ATP, Ca, and fatty acid, along with the rate of ATP hydrolysis, as well as microscopic appearance of mitochondria, have led to the following generalizations: 1. The competition between cationic translocations and water translocation for the available chemical energy (ATP) determines under many circumstances the water content of mitochondria. 2. Swelling of mitochondria by electron transport substrates is an example of the activation of the cationic translocations at the expense of water translocation. 3. Electron micrographic studies are interpreted to indicate that EDTA alone can cause condensation and dehydration of the mitochondrial matrix. However, both EDTA and substrate are necessary to remove appreciable quantities of water from mitochondrial intramembranous spaces. 4. Since the data in the accompanying report indicated that EDTA, in the absence of energy, decreased the permeability of mitochondrial membranes, it appears likely that ballooning of intramembranous spaces, following addition of EDTA, represents trapping of water between two semipermeable membranes following dehydration of mitochondrial matrix.     

DEVELOPMENT OF MITOCHONDRIAL PYRUVATE METABOLISM IN RAT BRAIN

The activities of a number of mitochondrial enzymes involved in the metabolism of pyruvate during development of the rat brain were investigated. The rates of decarboxylation of [1-¹⁴C]pyruvate to ¹⁴CO₂ via pyruvate dehydrogenase and the fixation of H¹⁴CO₃^? in the presence of pyruvate via pyruvate carboxylase by brain homogenates were very low in newborn rats. These rates increased markedly by about four-fold and 15-fold respectively during 10–35 postnatal days. The rates of the fixation of H¹⁴CO₃^? by cerebral homogenates were supported by the development of the activity of pyruvate carboxylase in rat brain. The activities of citrate synthase, aconitase, NAD-malate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and phosphoenol-pyruvate carboxykinase were very low in the particulate fraction of the newborn rat brain. The activities of all these enzymes increased makedly by about three- to 10-fold during 10–35 days after birth. The activity of mitochondrial phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase from rat brain was not precipitated by an antibody prepared against rat liver cytosolic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase suggesting that cerebral mitochondrial enzyme is immunologically different from that of the cytosolic form in hepatocytes. The significance of the development of the cerebral mitochondrial metabolism is discussed in relation to biochemical maturation of the brain.     

内分泌细胞中溶酶体对激素分泌调节的作用

本实验用外源性雄激素引起垂体促性腺激素细胞和睾丸间质细胞分泌抑制,对这两种细胞中的溶酶体及分泌吞噬和自体吞噬活动进行了超微结构形态观察和半定量分析。实验中应用了CMP酶细胞化学技术和免疫胶体金技术。研究结果显示,在分泌受抑制状态下,垂体促性腺激素细胞中溶酶体增多,分泌吞噬活动加强;与此同时,睾丸间质细胞也表现溶酶体增多、自体吞噬活动加强。这些结果不仅再次证明在分泌蛋白质激素细胞中溶酶体以分泌吞噬的方式参与了激素分泌调节,更重要的是初步证明在分泌类固醇激素细胞的分泌调节中,也有溶酶体的参与,其形式是自体吞噬作用。细胞通过自体吞噬作用得以在短时间内清除一部分合成激素的细胞器和其中的激素,这可能是分泌类固醇激素的细胞及时有效地调整激素分泌量的一项重要机制,与分泌蛋白质激素细胞的分泌吞噬有着相同的意义。     

ULTRASTRUCTURE OF NECTARIES IN RELATION TO NECTAR SECRETION

In the last 15–20 years, ultrastructural studies have added new important cytological information to the relatively rich literature on the morphology and light microscopy of nectaries. On the basis of these studies, the following main conclusions can be drawn regarding the relation between the ultrastructure of nectaries and the process of nectar secretion: (1) the transport of the pre-nectar in the nectariferous tissue is mainly via the symplast; (2) the ER alone or the ER and the Golgi apparatus are involved in the process of secretion; (3) the elimination of nectar from the protoplast of the secretory cells is by reverse pinocytosis; (4) the outer walls of the secretory cells of nectaries in many plants possess wall ingrowths.     

PHYLOGEOGRAPHIC STRUCTURE IN MITOCHONDRIAL DNA OF THE LAKE WHITEFISH (COREGONUS CLUPEAFORMIS) AND ITS RELATION TO PLEISTOCENE GLACIATIONS

Restriction-fragment length polymorphisms were employed to evaluate the phylogenetic relationships, the genetic diversity and the geographic structure in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) lineages of the lake whitefish, Coregonus clupeaformis. Thirteen restriction enzymes that produced 148 restriction fragments were used to assay mtDNAs of 525 specimens collected among 41 populations. The sampling covered the entire range of the species, from Alaska to Labrador. Four distinct phylogeographic assemblages were identified. The Beringian assemblage, confined to Yukon and Alaska, was phylogenetically distinct from other assemblages and exhibited the highest level of nucleotide diversity. The Acadian assemblage was confined to southeastern North America and composed of a unique mtDNA clade. The Atlantic assemblage was confined to southern Québec and the northeastern United States and was also observed among anadromous populations of northern Hudson Bay. This group was highly polymorphic and responsible for most of the mtDNA diversity observed outside Beringia. The Mississippian assemblage occupied most of the actual range of lake whitefish, from the Mackenzie delta to Labrador. Ninety-two percent of all whitefish of this proposed origin belonged to a single mtDNA haplotype. Overall, the diversity, the geographic structure and the times of divergence of mtDNA phylogenetic assemblages correlate with the Pleistocene glaciations classically assumed to have dramatically altered the genetic diversity of northern fishes in recent evolutionary times. Our results emphasize the dominant role of these catastrophic events in shaping the population genetic structure of lake whitefish.     

SITES OF CALLUS PRODUCTION IN PRIMARY EXPLANTS OF SPRUCE TISSUE

When explants for tissue cultures taken from mature spruce trees, consisting only of xylem-cambium-phloem without pith or cortex, are placed on nutrient agar, callus forms first from the cambium, then from phloem parenchyma, and finally from the lining of xylem resin ducts. The proliferating cells of the phloem are the tannin cells which in situ give rise to sclereids in the bark.     

吗啡成瘾大鼠胰腺外分泌的变化

本实验采用急性吗啡成瘾法,观察了吗啡成瘾大鼠在整体胰导管引流和离体胰片灌流条件下,胰腺对ＣＣＫ８刺激的反应。结果如下：（１）吗啡成瘾大鼠对ＣＣＫ８诱导的淀粉酶分泌反应降低;（２）吗啡成瘾大鼠胰腺组织中淀粉酶含量降低。提示吗啡成瘾大鼠胰淀粉酶合成受到抑制。     

鲤鱼线粒体tRNA~(phe)基因结构的特异性

鲤鱼线粒体tRNA~(phe)基因的核酸序列已被测定。在鲸、人、爪蟾、牛、小鼠、鸡和鲤鱼中对此基因序列比较发现在D茎存在一个奇怪的保守结构,然而D茎在其余种类的已经测定的脊椎动物线粒体tRNA基因和细胞质tRNA基因中是极不保守的。这一保守结构包含有13bp碱基,我们将此保守区前7个碱基与真核生物RNA PolⅢ识别的A区相比较,发现在此不同物种的两种序列存在部分的同源性。考虑到tRNA~(phe)基因在线粒体基因组上位于置换环区和线粒体rRNA基因编码区之间这一特殊区域内,我们推测这一奇怪的保守结构可能存在其它更为有意义的功能。     

粪便类固醇激素研究简史及其在野生动物研究中的应用

系统回顾了粪便类固醇激素研究的历史,全面总结了国内外学者对动物粪便类固醇激素研究的现状,认为利用动物粪便研究类固醇激素具有完全无伤害性、材料收集容易等其他方法无可比拟的优点,并且有助于评估动物青春期的健康状况、判断动物的排卵方式、早孕诊断、产期预测等,因而是目前研究野生珍稀动物类固醇激素的一种较为理想的方法。     

ACCUMULATION OF REPLICATIVE INTERMEDIATES OF MITOCHONDRIAL DNA IN TETRAHYMENA PYRIFORMIS GROWN IN ETHIDIUM BROMIDE

The effect of growth of Tetrahymena pyriformis in ethidium bromide (EthBr) on the structure and synthesis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has been investigated. During the first 5 h of growth in EthBr, mtDNA synthesis is inhibited 95% or more. After 10–15 h, this block is partially released and large numbers of replicating molecules accumulate, indicating that inhibition by EthBr primarily affects the rate of chain growth and not the initiation of new rounds of replication. The accumulated molecules sediment more rapidly than normal Tetrahymena mtDNA and do not contain enough single-strand regions to distinguish them from normal Tetrahymena mtDNA when banded in buoyant CsCl or NaI gradients. Electron microscopy shows that the predominant species in this rapidly sedimenting DNA is a linear molecule containing one symmetrical double-stranded replication loop of varying size located at its center. No degradation of mtDNA from cells grown in EthBr was detected in alkaline velocity gradients.